'American Idol' rocks the decade

Katharine McPhee reacts as Chris Daughtry is eliminated in the most shocking 'Idol' moment ever!

It's hard to believe, but we've reached the end of the first decade of the
21st century. While there are numerous lists of the "best of" this
and that all over the Web, there don't seem to be many that recognize the
significance and impact American Idol on pop culture.

American Idol debuted in June 2002 as a FOX summer replacement show. All
the major networks had turned it down and the only reason FOX picked it up was
because the daughter of one of the network executives had seen Pop Idol
in the U.K. and convinced
her father the show would work in the U.S. She was right. The show was an
instant hit.

Over its eight seasons, Idol has remained number one in the Neilsen
ratings. No other show in history has accomplished this and only two others - All
in the Family and The Cosby Show have come even close with five top
rated seasons each.

An entire subculture has grown up around the show, spawning hundreds of Web
sites, fansites, merchandise, and of course, music, both good and not so
good! In the seven years since the conclusion of American Idol 1, contestants
have sold nearly 45 million albums. Idol alum have moved into the
mainstream of pop, rock, and country music, and forged successful careers.

Here's a list of what I see as the best and worst of Idol.

Best Idol Winner

This is a close one, but for me, at least, the best Idol winner has to be Kelly Clarkson, the first
season's winner. Maybe it's because she was the first, but in terms of artistic
ability, creativity, and longevity, Kelly has proven her mettle. She's had her
ups and downs, to be sure, but in the end, she's prevailed and her music is
better than ever. Not only does she record well, her live performances are
outstanding. Kelly hasn't lost touch with her roots and remains the same dorky
girl we fell in love with eight years ago.

Worst Idol Winner

It pains me to do this, but I'm giving this one to Taylor Hicks. Now, don't get me wrong, he is entertaining and creative, and I personally loved him on the show, but in terms of post-Idol success, Taylor Hicks has been a dismal failure. His debut album was a travesty in terms of showcasing his strengths. Instead, it was a weak attempt to try and mold him into some kind of pop singer. It didn't work. What's sad is that live, Taylor Hicks is incredible. Season 5 should have been Daughtry's, that's pretty clear, but it became a popularity contest and Taylor lost by winning.

Best Idol Season

This is a tough one to call because there have been several notable seasons,
but I'm calling it for Season 2. This was, of course, the season of Ruben vs.
Clay, pop vs. R&B, and emotions were incredibly high. This was the first
season fans were able to interact on message boards and witnessed the rise of
the first fanatic fan bases. The finale, which was watched by 38 million
people, was one of the most dramatic in the series and the outcome is one that
is still hotly debated by the Idol faithful.

Worst Idol Season

On the heels of Season 5 and the excitement that group generated, Season 6 fell
flatter than a pancake! From the start, something seemed to be missing and the
group never really seemed to gel. While Jordin Sparks has had a respectable
career post-Idol, her victory seemed rather ho-hum considering her opponent
(Blake Lewis). Of course, we will always have Sanjaya as a benchmark from that
season, but that's really not enough to elevate Season 6 from the basement.

Best Idol Coronation Song

This category includes the songs written for both the winner and runner-up. For
me, the best of these was Fantasia's "I Believe." The song is the
least maudlin and really spoke to the moment. Fantasia had struggled to
overcome all sorts of adversity and made no secret of her faith. Her finale
performance of this song was incredible and remains one of my favorites ever.
Runner-up in this category is Kelly Clarkson's "A Moment Like This"
because it was the first and it really was a moment.

Worst Idol Coronation Song

Can I say all the rest! No? Well then, I'd have to pick "My Destiny,"
with which Katharine McPhee was saddled Season 5. The song was completely out
of her range, she had no idea how to sing it, the lyrics were insipid, and her
performance was horrendous. Interestingly, this was the only time she ever had
to sing the song in public! Runner-up would be "No Boundaries," which
both Adam Lambert and Kris Allen were forced to sing Season 8. This one is so
bad, it was dropped from the Idol tour set list! Still, not as bad as
"My Destiny!"

Best Idol Performance

There have been many stellar performances over the years, but my favorite is Bo
Bice's a capella performance of Badland's "In a Dream' during the Season 4
Top 3 round. Bo took a huge risk, stepping out on the stage lit by a spotlight
and singing this song note-perfect without accompaniment. It was a stunning
moment. Runner-up in this category is Adam Lambert's "Mad World."

Worst Idol Performance

Again, there are many from which to choose, but the most memorably bad would be
Sanjaya Malakar's "Bathwater." Not only was the singing horrendous,
but that was the night Sanjaya broke out the infamous "Ponyhawk," a
moment that will live in Idol history! Runner-up would be Megan Joy's
"Rockin' Robin!"

Best Contestant (Strategy)

This one comes down to David Cook and Adam Lambert, but I'm giving it to
Cook because he was the first contestant to admit to having a survival
strategy. Over the course of the competition, David Cook amassed a catalog of
performances that had a nice flow. While others before him had taken standards
and twisted them up, Cook was able to create new music in the process. His
performance of "Billie Jean" set the standard and remains one of the
most interesting performances in the history of the show.

Worst Contestant (Strategy)

This has to go to Season 6's Chris Sligh. Did he even have a strategy or was his
sole purpose to make the Top 10 and get on the tour. Sligh is a talented
musician and excellent vocalist, but all this was overshadowed in an attempt
for him to show he was a funny guy. It didn't work. His performances never
lived up to his potential and his humor fell flat. He was eliminated way to
soon.

Most Robbed Contestant

Most people would say this should go to Jennifer Hudson, and certainly, her
post-Idol career would warrant this. Sure, she was eliminated far to early, but
her performances weren't consistent. One week she'd knock it out of the park,
the next, she'd fall flat. Based solely on Idol performances, this designation
has to go to Melinda Doolittle. She never had a bad performance and remains one
of the best pure vocalists the show has ever seen. Her mistake was probably
that she was too humble. I think that cost her the crown. No way should Blake
Lewis been the runner-up that season.

Most Shocking Idol Moment

Hands down, the most shocking Idol moment ever was the elimination of Chris
Daughtry! Not that this is unwarranted. Daughtry should have won that season.
His post-Idol sales have proven that. But the fact that he seemed to assume his
place in the Top 2 made his shocking boot a moment to remember. We'll never
forget Katharine McPhee's expression - her mouth wide open in absolute shock -
as Ryan read Chris' name! Wow! Runner-up for this nod is Tamyra Gray who was
also eliminated fourth in favor of the insipid and untalented Nikki McKibbon.
Talk about being robbed!

Best Idol Vocalist

This is tricky, but I'm giving it to Elliott Yamin. The tone and texture of his
vocals remains unparalleled. He couldn't compete with the antics of Taylor
Hicks that season in terms of popularity, but he sang rings around him. That he
was third over Katharine McPhee is still unbelievable. Runner-up here is
Melinda Doolittle.

Worst Idol Vocalist

Mikalah Gordon takes this one hands down! She couldn't hold a note and her
vocals were all over the map. Her performance of "Love Will Lead You
Back" is notable for it's complete failure to achieve even a modicum of
tonality.

Best Idol Moment

The best moment for me came during the Season 4 finale when Bo Bice took
the stage with his idols, Lynyrd Skynyrd. The performance was pure joy
and Bo's excitement was completely non-manufactured. He's since acknowledged
this was his moment as well. He didn't win that year and his career hasn't been
what I'd hoped, but Bo experienced something that night he will remember
forever.

Worst Idol Moment

Again, this is purely personal, but for me, the worst moment in the entire
eight seasons came the night George Huff was eliminated. George brought so much
joy to that season, which was really a dreary affair. His enthusiasm was
contagious and his faith inspiring. I loved George that season and cried like a
fool when he was eliminated.

Best Post-Idol Album

In my opinion, the best post-Idol album is Jennifer Hudson's self-titled debut.
It's an eclectic mix of R&B, hip-hop, pop, and gospel, and gives
authenticity to this talented Idol. Jennifer can sing anything and this album
proves it. My favorite track it "You Pulled Me Through," ironic in
that while it was recorded before the tragedies that rocked her world, the
lyrics speak to her loss and gives voice to the depths to which she fell. Love
it. Runner-up is Carrie Underwood's Carnival Ride. I'm not a real
country fan, but I love this album!

Worst Post-Idol Album

Corey Clark's debut album sold less than 3,000 copies and is the undisputed
champ in terms of the worst of the worst. He is also the most despicable
character ever to grace the Idol stage! His album was tripe and he ended
up selling it out of the trunk of his car.

So there you have it! I'm sure not everyone will agree with me, but that's what
the show is all about.

American Idol has not only launched music careers, it has also offered
me an opportunity to become an entertainment writer. My first Idol
article was published on the Foxes on Idol Web site in 2003 and I've been
writing about the show ever since. From there, I moved on to have the first
entertainment blog on syracuse.com, which eventually morphed into Idol
Thoughts.

I now have a successful
entertainment blog of my own and will continue to write about the show here.
I have been published all over the world, written four books on the subject,
and have been interviewed by several national publications. I have also had a
chance to meet and get to know some of the Idols, and have even forged a
friendship with a couple.

The ninth season of Idol starts January 12 at 8 p.m. on FOX with the Boston auditions.
Are you ready to start this madness all over again?

Update: In response to several comments below, this is an opinion piece. Of course I recognize Carrie Underwood and her contributions to both country and pop music since winning Idol. She's surpassed Kelly in U.S. album sales and remains true to her roots. In addition, I really admire her work ethic, values, and yes, her music.

As for Kellie Pickler and others that I did not mention, I could have written a book about all the different Idols I have enjoyed over the years. In fact, I have! The thing that makes Idol so interesting is that we all have our favorites and I appreciate the discourse and discussion!

Happy New Year! And let's hope that Time Warner and FOX can resolve this dispute so we will be able to watch this season.